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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
Beautiful story, well written. Was a good audio book.
A beautifully written tale of two women living in very different times yet under very similar constraints. Epic, historic, and literary, it's a book for those who love research, books, academics and history. It's long and not a light or easy read but it's so worth the effort.
Had to stop reading; bored with the overwritten, not very likable characters. Books have to be somewhat pleasurable, this one wasn’t.
I don't believe I've ever referred to a book as a masterpiece. The Weight of Ink, however, fits that rare description. It took me months to read, because it is very long but also because I savored it thoroughly. The world that Rachel Kadish created in this novel is so singular that it doesn't possibly feel like this could be fiction. I am in awe of her ability to weave so many elements of history and human nature so expertly together.
The book had slow start for me, but what a rewarding story. The plot comes together across centuries, letters, academic politics, and personal tragedies. While I guessed the “reveal” at the end, it wasn’t the main takeaway from the book. Complex characters struggling to live the life they want or figure out what they want in the first place. Wonderful writing, great read.
Got more interesting as it went along and I'm glad I read it. The book juxtaposes 16th century London, Portugal and Amsterdam's Jewish culture with contemporary scholars examining recently found documents from the earlier period. I think it would be even more interesting to Jews or others interested in that period and that culture, but I found the characters appealing and the story suspenseful. Recommend.
Ethereal and Weighty
Really this is one of the best dual timelines I’ve read. So, so much happening and we care about it all.
Really this is one of the best dual timelines I’ve read. So, so much happening and we care about it all.
Although I finished reading this book late last night, I am still living in the world of Ester Velásquez in 17th Century London. It is one of those books which linger in the reader's minds even after the last page is read. Historian Helen Watt is called by his former student to survey some letters that were found in their house which belonged to a prominent Jewish family in mid sixteenth century. Through the letters Helen and his helper, a post grad student Aaron Levy discover the life and intellect of a remarkable Jewish woman who moved to London with her brother after being orphaned in Amsterdam, to live under the care of Rabbi HaCoen Mendes. The book keeps the readers enthralled with the cinematic description of 17th century, plague ridden London, the hatred that the citizens possessed against Jews and it also takes us into the brilliant mind of a fascinating woman who was dissatisfied with the lot she was given in life due to her gender and was not afraid to break, or at least, attempt to break the glass ceiling to fulfill her intellectual thirst. Each character is remarkable, their story is completely captivating and each page of this 500 plus book is worthy of our attention. It was truly a pleasure.
Absolutely beautiful book from beginning to end. The history. The connections of the characters. Just...perfect. Fan of historical fiction? Like books that jump between two time periods? Like Jewish history? London history? Read it. Just do yourself a favor and read it.
There are 5 parts to the book and the first couple moved slowly for me (3 stars) The last two flew by (which raised my rating to a 4) and I couldn’t put the book down. The writing is excellent minus all the F bombs throughout. There are several stories going on in the book and I learned quite a bit. I did listen to half of the book but got a physical copy and that’s the way to go with this. There were several times I went back to reread a passage or two.